Wiklenman Vicente González (born May 17, 1974) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals in parts of seven seasons from 1999 to 2006. Listed at , , González batted and threw right-handed.
Career
González signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992. After two seasons in the Dominican Summer League he made his American debut in 1994. The San Diego Padres selected him in the minors league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in December 1996. He was named the best defensive catcher in the Southern League by its managers in 1999. Baseball America called him the Padres' eighth best prospect and best defensive catcher entering the 2000 season.
The Padres purchased González's contract on August 13, 1999. In his MLB debut the next day, he went 3-for-4 with a triple and threw out a would-be base stealer. He hit .253 with 3 home runs in his first major league season.
A slow runner, González hit into a 5-4-3 triple play on May 17, 2002, his birthday, in a game against the New York Mets. He dealt with hand, elbow, and hip injuries that season.
The Padres traded González to the Seattle Mariners after the 2003 season as part of a package sending Jeff Cirillo to San Diego. In 2004, he played only 13 games in the minors before tearing the ACL in his right knee in May. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Washington Nationals in 2006.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela